21 U.S. Code § 360bbb–5 - Critical Path Public-Private Partnerships

The Secretary, acting through the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, may enter into collaborative agreements, to be known as Critical Path Public-Private Partnerships, with one or more eligible entities to implement the Critical Path Initiative of the Food and Drug Administration by developing innovative, collaborative projects in research, education, and outreach for the purpose of fostering medical product innovation, enabling the acceleration of medical product development, manufacturing, and translational therapeutics, and enhancing medical product safety.

(b) Eligible entity

In this section, the term “eligible entity” means an entity that meets each of the following:

(1)The entity is—

(A)an institution of higher education (as such term is defined in section
1001 of title
20) or a consortium of such institutions; or

(B)an organization described in section
501(c)(3) of title
26 and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such title.

(2)The entity has experienced personnel and clinical and other technical expertise in the biomedical sciences, which may include graduate training programs in areas relevant to priorities of the Critical Path Initiative.

(3)The entity demonstrates to the Secretary’s satisfaction that the entity is capable of—

(C)securing funding for the projects of a Critical Path Public-Private Partnership from Federal and nonfederal governmental sources, foundations, and private individuals.

(c) Funding

The Secretary may not enter into a collaborative agreement under subsection (a) unless the eligible entity involved provides an assurance that the entity will not accept funding for a Critical Path Public-Private Partnership project from any organization that manufactures or distributes products regulated by the Food and Drug Administration unless the entity provides assurances in its agreement with the Food and Drug Administration that the results of the Critical Path Public-Private Partnership project will not be influenced by any source of funding.

(d) Annual report

Not later than 18 months after September 27, 2007, and annually thereafter, the Secretary, in collaboration with the parties to each Critical Path Public-Private Partnership, shall submit a report to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives—

(1)reviewing the operations and activities of the Partnerships in the previous year; and

(2)addressing such other issues relating to this section as the Secretary determines to be appropriate.

(e) Definition

In this section, the term “medical product” includes a drug, a biological product as defined in section
262 of title
42, a device, and any combination of such products.

(f) Authorization of appropriations

To carry out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $6,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2013 through 2017.

2012—Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 112–144amended subsec. (f) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “To carry out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2008 and such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2009 through 2012.”